The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7288 p245
28 February 2004

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Letters to the Editor

Branded generics

Cost implications are enormous

From Mr I. Bell, MRPharmS

I support Paul Kirby in his condemnation of branded generics (PJ, 21 February, p215). Primary care trusts in general do not support such prescribing. This is because the PCTs are aware of the long-term detrimental effects this will have on overall prescribing costs, patient compliance and pharmacists’ goodwill — especially so if a trend is set of changing prescribing habits every time a different branded generic becomes flavour of the month.

As Mr Kirby rightly points out, the cost implications to pharmacy contractors are enormous. Indeed my accountant has frequently pointed out to me that I would be bankrupt if I relied upon my professional fees plus practice allowance to provide the pharmaceutical services that I do.

It is common knowledge that it is pharmacy contractors’ business skills that keep down generic prices through open market competition between suppliers. Prescribing of branded generics will destroy this equilibrium, which will ultimately drive up the price of drugs to the NHS. I sit on my local PCT prescribing subcommittee, which is unanimously against the use of branded generics as a short-term fix to an individual practice’s prescribing budget, and is acutely aware of the implications that such a switch would have in the long term.

I would therefore urge other pharmacists, especially those in the same PCT as Mr Kirby, to support him, and if necessary boycott any meetings called (in pharmacists’ own time) to discuss future PCT projects, unless they start to engage local pharmacists in open discussion before implementing such schemes which could jeopardise the PCT, pharmacists’ remuneration and, most of all, compromise the consistent supply of medicines for patients.

Ian Bell
Middlesbrough, Cleveland

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